BOSTON, MA, USA I August 29, 2014 I Boston Strategics Corporation (BSC), a primary global strategic drug development provider for FUJIFILM Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. (FPHU), has begun a Phase 1 clinical trial of FUJIFILM’s anti-cancer agent FF-10501 in the United States in patients with advanced hematologic malignancies, such as relapsed or refractory high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). The trial is carried out at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson) with Guillermo Garcia-Manero, M.D., Professor, as the Principal Investigator. Prof. Garcia-Manero is a world-renowned expert in advanced hematologic malignancies, especially MDS.

MDS is a type of hematologic malignancy, in which the disorder of blood-forming “hematopoietic stem cells” causes inefficient production of blood cells triggering cytopenia. It is also a refractory disease for some patients with poor prognosis, progressing to acute myeloid leukemia. The U.S. incidence of MDS is 60,000 cases per year, most of them in the senior age group. FF-10501 is expected to inhibit the growth of hematological cancer cells and promote their differentiation to normally functioning cells.

MD Anderson is one of the world’s top general cancer centers with over 10,000 patients enrolled in therapeutic clinical trials each year and approximately 20,000 employees. BSC is able to utilize the world’s top-level clinical testing functions available at the MD Anderson under a Strategic Alliance Agreement to carry out Phase 1 and early Phase 2 clinical trials to gain preliminary safety information and clinical activity in cancer patients. “We are very excited to be collaborating with FPHU and BSC on this important clinical trial in patients with advanced hematologic malignancies,” said Prof. Guillermo Garcia-Manero. “This drug will provide another alternative for patients who have failed conventional chemotherapeutic approaches, and we are pleased to be furthering this research at our institution.”

This clinical trial is the first example of a BSC and FPHU collaboration, whereby BSC optimizes and executes the global strategy of FPHU Oncology drug development programs. Utilizing Boston Strategics’ internal oncology development expertise and its ability to leverage the “True” Open Innovation™ network to collaborate with the best resources around the world, BSC will be able to deliver to FPHU more efficient and superior outcomes to cancer patients worldwide.

This is a important milestone in BSC and FPHU partnership to develop a new pharmaceutical R&D platform for FPHU, which looks for an innovative and efficient way for global development of FUJIFILM’s unique oncology pipeline“, says Eita Kitayama, President of Boston Strategics. “Both companies are fully committed to deliver breakthrough therapies using innovative approaches to achieve industry benchmark-beating timelines, quality, and financial investments for important novel anti-cancer agents.”

About Boston Strategics Corporation (BSC):

BSC is an integrated drug R&D company with experience in developing, managing and optimizing global drug development programs from late discovery, through translational research, first-in-man proof-of-concept studies. Its mission is to continuously improve patient health care by changing the drug R&D paradigm using “True” Open Innovation™ platform.

SOURCE: Boston Strategics Corp